Vehicle Research

2020 Ford Explorer Offers Self-Sealing Tires

Ford's 2020 Explorer will offer Michelin's SelfSeal tires that help keep the vehicle on the road after a puncture.

Photo courtesy of Ford.

Ford will offer a self-sealing tire with its 2020 Explorer that's designed to fill most common tread punctures and slow the rate of an air leak, Ford has announced.

The Michelin Selfseal tires will be standard on Platinum and Limited Hybrid all-wheel-drive models and optional on Limited models. The tire's size is 255/55R-20.

If a nail or screw punctures the tire, it will remain in place, as sealant surrounds the object to help close the opening. The tire technology will also work if the object punctures the tire and comes back out.

The tires will seal about 90% of tread punctures up to a quarter-inch in diameter, which slows the loss of air pressure to less than 15 pounds per square inch, according to Ford. The results are based on internal testing at Michelin.

"The all-new Explorer is designed to help our customers feel unstoppable and worry-free," said Craig Patterson, Explorer marketing manager. "The availability of these new Michelin Selfseal tires is another great example of that."

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